The Devil Inside is a part paranormal romance and part kick-ass anime-type tale about vampire-like creatures who battle the forces of evil. Yes, these non-vampires are the good guys.
The title of the book is appropriate. It works on literal and metaphorical levels. The main character, Harley, is a human girl who undergoes a dramatic transformation: she allows herself to die only to be revived with a dark creature infused within the fabric of her being. This creature is symbiotic - it grants Harley great physical strength and agility, but also plagues her with a hunger for blood. But remember, these are the good guys - the blood they feed on comes from humans possessed by demons.
Okay, so let me back up. Harley and her kind are creatures of the night, infused with beings of darkness. Their counterparts are creatures of the day, humans that have bonded with beings of light. Both these factions fight evil humans who have bonded with demons. All have power. Only the Nocte (Harley's group) drink blood. The light dudes and dudettes siphon life from the demons (almost like a mental link). Harley, of course, is different.
This book had many pluses. Some great sex and fight scenes top the list. The pacing is consistent, and the story moves along. There is some over-description at times, but at other times, when dealing with abstract concepts, the author really shows her writing skills. These abstract, beyond consciousness scenes - like the bonding process between Harley and her Nocte - are easy to envision and even feel, a credit to the author. The story's concept is original and offers something different for fans of both the vampire novel and the paranormal genre, but also enough action to be... almost a guy book.
But this is not a guy book, and not something I would normally read. It has perhaps too much sex, not that mushy lovey-dovey nonsense, but raw passionate -- well let's call it what it is -- f*@king. I'm fine with that, no prude here. Just saying there's a lot. :)
Harley is a strong lead for most of the book. She is somewhat damaged emotionally, detached, but definitely strong-willed. What I didn't like about her: too strong willed. She is the youngest of a group that has been around for ages, and probably the strongest, but by the end of the book, she's practically leading that group.
Also, let me start off by saying I recognize the double standard in the minds of many where men can whore themselves and its "cool" and women who act the same way are viewed as, well, whores. I don't subscribe to this theory and I don't care what guys or gals do as long as everyone is happy.
But Harley lacks conscience in some respects. She knows her love triangle hurts one of the men involved, yet she continues it unashamed and in the face of this knowledge. It takes her a long time to be upfront about it and conclude that she has no intention of changing. More power to her, but it comes across as somewhat shallow and selfish. So at the end, and this is a personal conclusion, I respect her power and her will but have difficulty respecting her or the fools that stay with her.
Again, I am not the target audience for this book, so perhaps the majority female perspective would differ. All in all, I think this would be a fantastic book for fans of anything from Anne Rice, to Japanamine and graphic novels, to action thrillers, to paranormal romance, and maybe even to soft erotica. Some pesky typos here and there were noticeable, but not story ruining. For its intended audience, I give this book 4 stars.